Like most Americans, I've had loved ones deal with a serious healthcare issue. I will never forget sitting in a hospital, overwhelmed and scared, wondering how I was going to pay for this hospitalization. I also remember thinking that I was incredibly fortunate to have decent health insurance, because I couldn't even imagine how much worse my situation would be without it. When faced with illness and injury, Americans should be focusing on getting better–not on how to pay their medical bills.

America is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. However, according to the Center for Policy Progress, among large, advanced countries, we have the most expensive healthcare system and the highest percentage of uninsured people. As a result, we have one of the lowest life expectancies of large developed countries and the highest maternal mortality rate. This is unacceptable.

When I'm elected to Congress, I will focus on transitioning us to a single-payer healthcare system, such as Medicare for All. This obviously won't happen overnight, so first I'll fight to expand Medicare coverage and reduce the cost of prescription drugs. But I want to be very clear: There is absolutely no reason that we cannot have a single-payer healthcare system in this country. Anyone who tells you otherwise either has a financial stake in our current inoperable system or lacks vision. This is America–we  can do big things!